Winter has made its presence known across the nation; leaving some wondering what part of the US they are in and others chuckling at the first group as they add another layer of clothing.
Getting a return on investment: What self-fed supplements provide
We have entered into the new year and preparing for tax season is one item we will be doing. The questions we often ask is, “Will I get a return?” That same question is often in the back of our mind when we purchase supplements for the cow herd.
Self-fed supplement guidelines for beef cow-herds during cold weather
There have been bouts of cold weather episodes this winter ranging from short, tolerable conditions to extreme almost unbearable extended cold with little relief. We still have several months where temperatures can influence cow herd condition and it is extremely important to successfully manage through them, especially for spring calving cow herds.
Innovations are not just nice, they are necessary
A couple of years ago, I posed the following question: What do BioBarrels®, 48 row corn planters, GPS and net wrap have in common? They all allow one person to do much more than you could, 10 or 20 years ago.
Surviving the vitamin crisis
Most of you have probably walked into your local feed store or glanced at your current price list and gotten a shock at how much prices have shot up in the last few months. A global vitamin shortage (particularly vitamin A) has set the feed industry on edge. This shortage is expected to continue well into 2018.
Have you heard about vitamins lately?
Has anyone noticed the increased cost of supplements and manufactured feeds lately? What's the reason? Vitamin costs. In beef cattle nutrition, it seems a lot of attention is given and information is reported, regarding the importance of nutrients like protein, macro and trace minerals, fats and carbohydrates (starch and sugar).
Reducing oxidative stress for optimal performance
Recent studies cite that 83.9% of the cattle at harvest showed signs of chronic oxidative stress. What role do chelated trace minerals have in improving oxidative balance and how can we help cattle reach their full genetic potential?
Thinking multiple steps ahead for cow-calf producers
This is a topic that I have tried on several occasions to write about but thought that it might be too ambiguous in terms of what could possibly be written that would seem valuable enough or intriguing enough to be read by cow-calf producers. What has kept this topic simmering on the backburner have been observations not only at work but also with my kids at home.
We are approaching the third trimester
With many of you having spring calving herds, that will begin to calve in February, March or April, we are fast approaching the proverbial “third trimester”.
Mineral nutrition in early pregnancy counts more than you think
Maternal nutrition, including mineral nutrition, during early gestation is just as critical as during later gestation. Fetal programing shows that nutritional disruptions during pregnancy can have far-reaching implications later in the calf’s life, and even into adulthood.
